


Token of Appreciation

by Sevargs



Category: Dragon Ball
Genre: Bulma's mother is a treasure, Dumb Saiyan Fluff, Gen, Mother's Day, Protect and love her, Vegeta being Vegeta (Dragon Ball)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-13
Updated: 2018-05-13
Packaged: 2019-05-06 10:10:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,201
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14639640
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sevargs/pseuds/Sevargs
Summary: Bulma's Mother still mystifies Vegeta.Happy Mother's Day!





	Token of Appreciation

Bulma’s mother, the strange creature that she was, still mystified Vegeta. Her cheerful demeanor had been constant and completely unshakeable from the moment he met her to that very moment, following a morning workout. She greeted him with a little wave, carrying a drink for him in her hand. She knew his routine and by default, he now knew hers. He would be up before the sun, go for a jog before the rest of the humans stirred and then come back to train in the quiet of his gravity room. When he returned, like every morning, there she was, with a drink for him and an invitation to breakfast一where he would not decline, knowing Trunks was already there as well. That boy was spoiled. But...so was he. He scoffed a little, but Bulma made the accusation, often. 

“Good morning, Vegeta,” she held the same high tone, as if time never touched her mirth for life. The woman aged with the grace of a saiyan and he barely detected a wrinkle on her face, despite the willful use of her expression. “You’re a little late this morning,” she noted, a little patch of curiosity. She knew his schedule. He rarely deviated out of his normal routine. He knew she would notice. Spending years within the same building as this woman had made him pick up on the traits that Bulma inherited from her. “You didn’t get caught in the rain this morning, did you? I saw the forecast.”

She was much more astute than she made herself seem. 

Vegeta shook his head, absently. He wasn’t verbose, even after many years of familiarity, but she seemed perfectly content with that. There was unlimited appreciation for her unobtrusive nature, while still somehow managing to mother him to death一and to the point of Bulma accusing him of stealing her mother. She made him food on a regular basis, he was largely considering the theft of Mrs. Briefs, if not for his respect for Bulma’s father. It wouldn’t be princely at all to commit such a betrayal. 

“Breakfast is still warm, and Trunks hasn’t eaten it all yet, come get some,” she clapped her hands together and eased perfectly back into the next part of their morning ritual. Her brief moment of being set back by his lateness was gently put back into place and he watched her begin her sway back toward the kitchen. She seemed so content with keeping her little household together, and pleased by his acceptance of their order, that he almost let her walk out of his sight in the process of dwelling on it. He had been informed that he thought about things too much. 

“Wait,” he managed to grunt, before she actually made it to the door. Her pause and turn felt like a slow motion action to him at that particular moment, because he was not even remotely sure how to handle what he set himself up for. What are you even doing. He was not about to back out, however and he steeled himself, glancing off a little to avoid direct contact and prevent himself from looking like he was embarrassed by himself. He was always embarrassed by himself, but it didn’t need to be obvious. “Can I talk to you for a moment?” 

This seemed to perplex Panchy and Vegeta discreetly studied her face for a long moment一actually enamored a little with the expression that was out of her usual airy, pleasant one. Bulma’s mother was some kind of mystical creature. He一in all his bullheaded gruffness一should have been off-putting for anyone. Not her. I cannot defeat her, he acknowledged a long time ago. He could easily see Bulma’s roots. 

“Of course, dear.” She came back over to him, without any hesitation. Standing in front of him, Vegeta had to glance up just a little, reminded that this woman was just a little taller than him and it only somehow contributed to the motherly aura around her. “Is it Bulma? Is she being stubborn again?” She giggled into her hand a little and Vegeta almost let his face see a smile. Bulma never stopped being stubborn. That was the joke. 

“Actually, it’s not Bulma.” He started, trailing a little and reaching back a bit to lift his jacket and pull a small wrapped box hidden partially, edged from under his belt. “I wanted to give this to you,” his voice lowered, unintentionally一closing up a little at how surprisingly difficult it became to give a simple thing to Bulma’s mother. 

She paused, looking to him with great surprise when he held to her the little box一a ribbon wrapped box of some kind of fancy chocolates, edged with a fancy paper. She glanced down, then back up to him and he could feel the warmth creeping up the back of his neck, waiting for her to take the damn box. His throat was ready to close up and he was about to fly away, but then she saved him the humiliation and gently took it from his hand. “Oh my, Vegeta...what is this for…?” Her voice was soft, and she seemed very taken with his gesture. If he had a heart, it would have been touched by her response一good thing he didn’t. Yeah. 

“I heard someone talking about this Mother’s Day thing, is all....You have been gracious and I wished to show appreciation,” he explained, hoping he sounded as clinical as he intended. He didn’t expect for it to be difficult一just give the damn thing and go get breakfast. Easy. 

But the shift of her posture and the turn of her mouth, told him that she wasn’t prepared for it either and her bubbly personality surfaced again. He had no power to stop her from closing the short space and delivering the gentle mom-like kiss to his forehead. He was frozen and had no intention of actually retaliating. He was simultaneously mad about it and relieved that she wasn’t offended by his gesture. Human mothers weren’t like saiyan mothers, after all. The culture difference was a wide gap. 

“You are very welcome, dear. I’m very glad to have you. It’s so much less lonely now.” She giggled a little and Vegeta found the sound enough to relax him from the tension that somehow caught him. “Now, won’t you come get breakfast?” She smiled even wider, “I’ll make fresh coffee. Go wash up, and it should be ready,” she ushered him and he did not have it in him to argue. 

He just nodded and turned without offering resistance, hearing her pleasant humming recede back into the kitchen. Her mood was good. His...was too, a little bit. He almost smiled, almost一peeling his jacket off to leave it on the hook. Turning around to head back to clean up, he met face to face with pair of blue eyes. Blue eyes judging him very intensely.

“...Honestly, Vegeta…?” Bulma’s voice held such a disbelief that he felt himself rising up to challenge it out of just sheer force of spite. Natural instinct to butt heads with her at play. 

He leaned forward a little and managed just the faintest hint of a smirk, “She’s my mother now.”

**Author's Note:**

> Based on a headcanon that Vegeta has been fully adopted by Mrs. Briefs, change_my_mind.jpg 
> 
> dreamyghost, this one is a shout out to you. I would write Vegeta + Panchy antics forever if I thought we weren't the only ones. But at least I know you and my wife are also on board.


End file.
